2018 MEPRA Award Finalists Announced!

MEPRA announced the finalists for the 2018 MEPRA Awards today, with more than 30 agencies and in-house communication teams shortlisted to win across 26 categories. Finalists will be awarded Gold, Silver or Bronze during a black-tie gala event on 28th November 2018 in Dubai.

This year marks the 10th edition of the ceremony, the communications industry’s most prestigious event, which celebrates and recognises the most creative and impactful practitioners in the Middle East. The annual MEPRA Awards is open to all Middle East based agencies, corporates, government organisations and non-profits working in the communications profession.

APCO Worldwide, ASDA’A BCW, Cicero & Bernay, Four Communications Group, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Seven Media and Weber Shandwick MENA are in the running to win the coveted Large Agency of The Year award, while Acorn Strategy, Brazen, Kekst CNC, Markettiers, SOCIATE and Taqarabu Hybrid Communications will compete for the Small Agency of the Year title. The sought-after In-House Team of the Year award is also split by size, with Emirates Global Aluminium and Etihad Aviation Group vying for Large In-House Team of the Year and Dubai Properties and Marriott International contending for Small In-House Team of the Year.

For the first time the Dave Robinson Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year Agency & Corporate winners will receive a MEPRA Academy scholarship. Both the agency and corporate winners will be rewarded with eight complimentary training sessions from the 2019 MEPRA Academy calendar to assist with their continuous professional development.

This year saw 231 entries submitted for the 10th MEPRA Awards, which were assessed by a panel of more than 50 regional and international industry experts to select the 2018 finalists and winners. The judging process was also reviewed by AMEC CEO Barry Leggetter, who served as an independent adjudicator.

“The quality of entries submitted for this year’s Awards is very strong. There are some real stand-out entries, highlighting how public relations teams in this region are delivering impactful business results for organisations through creativity, storytelling and thoughtful planned campaigns. This year’s MEPRA competition is tough, and those recognised as finalists should be immensely proud of their work.”

This year, shortlisted entries were limited to 10 per category. For categories, which received a larger collection of entries, only the top 10 were shortlisted, even if the submission reached over the 70% scoring threshold. This was the case for Best Use of Influencer, Best use of Digital PR, Best Use of Traditional Media Relations, Best Sustainability and Social Impact Campaign, Best Integrated Campaign, Corporate Reputation and Best Launch Live Event or Stunt.

MEPRA Awards Adjudicator and AMEC CEO Barry Leggetter said:

“I was impressed not only by the high standard of the entries but the sheer vibrancy of public relations work in the Middle East that the entries showed. What I liked was the care the judges took to provide entrants with constructive feedback and a clear rationale behind their scoring. Having a judging panel of 54 judges gave a high level of transparency to make sure each entry was scored fairly and ethically.”

For the first time, the MEPRA Awards will be preluded by a series of industry events under the brand name REMAP, which including a creative communications congress, and masterclass workshops. The two-day festival will focus on the evolution of modern public relations, building connections through content and tapping into the minds of content creators to unleash the undiscovered realm of creative thinking. REMAP will provide practitioners from across the region the chance to learn, share knowledge and celebrate the best through one event in Dubai.